Sep 6, 2017 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
As promised, the first tip is about developing an awareness of the issue, which for the next 3 months is ENERGY EFFICIENCY. (There will be a bit on water efficiency, but I’ll tackle that later.) According to the US Department of Energy, homes are responsible...
Aug 1, 2017 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living
Some great things are in the works for this site, and by publishing this, I’m holding myself accountable. My plan is to post a tip, at least once per month devoted to living more sustainably. Since sustainability is such a massive subject, it will be...
Jul 1, 2017 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Water
Most people think that going green costs more. Sometimes it does (and in many of those cases, it pays back in a reasonable timeframe). But sometimes, it does not cost more – and in that case, they are really no-brainers. If something does not cost more, but it may...
Apr 30, 2014 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
Over the years, as I have talked about why renewable energy is so important, I’ve tried to find accurate statistics on how we get our electricity — that is, what percentage is from coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, etc. The various websites...
Aug 11, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living, Toxins & Chemicals
Steven Brandt’s recent article in the Star Tribune, Yards Can Go Au Naturel in Minneapolis, already has 75 comments on the website. That might make one feel that Minneapolis has a nice community of people who can properly argue the merits of having a mowed lawn...
Jul 26, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Water
Many people ask me what my favorite “green” features of our home are, since we have now lived in it for over two years and can honestly assess whether we would make the same green choice again. While don’t people ask what was the worst choice? What...
Jul 20, 2011 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Materials, Trash and Waste
On May 10th, hail pummeled parts of Minneapolis, as you can see in this short video. It was very loud, and I knew it could dent our aluminum flashing around the edges of the roof as well as around our windows. If you look closely in the picture of the green roof,...
Jul 7, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, LEED Certification
We had some major hail damage in Minneapolis back on May 10th (which I write about in a more recent post), and the areas that we have a green roof are the only ones that do not need replacement! I write about the benefits of the green roof in a blog post on a...
Jun 16, 2011 | Food, Green Home Living
Now that summer is finally here and we are seeing its bounty in the grocery stores, the question arises as to which fruits and vegetables are the most important for choosing organic. If you can afford it, I would say always go organic. Even if it is a little more...
Jun 15, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
Our solar panels were installed and became operational (not the same thing; see solar saga story) on October 30, 2010. We had just missed a most beautiful, sunny October, weather that did not require heat or air conditioning and therefore was potentially a month in...
Jun 8, 2011 | Energy & Water, Green Home Living
Someone took my business idea! A few years ago, I had written a business plan for “Green Squad” — a company I wanted to start to help homeowners green up their homes. The reason I wrote the plan was that I felt there was a great need for a more...
Apr 26, 2011 | Green Home Living, Trash and Waste
In 2010, one of my goals was to begin composting our kitchen scraps. The city already picks up our yard waste and composts that, but I cook a lot, and all that waste has been really bothering me. In working through all the LEED certification documentation and...
